Birdseye
Well-known member
standard horizon - crackly volume control. Is it sense to repair? Can it be repaired. Or is it a case of bin and buy again?
handheld radio repair?
- Thread starter Birdseye
- Start date
PaulRainbow
Well-known member
Best bet would be to contact Standard Horizon.
KeithMD
Well-known member
Seastoke
Well-known member
Depends how old ie battery life , also season nearly here , then repair cost postage cost . Artery must be worth something on flea bay.
Irish Rover
Well-known member
Definitely. They were very helpful to me last week and the beauty of it is it's not a call centre with press 1 for this and 2 for that. The lady who answered the phone was in full control and extremely helpful.
oldgit
Well-known member
If all else fails ie. not economically worth repairing and a new one is on its way.
Why not spend an hour getting the old one apart, discovering the volume control ,give it good squirt of this stuff, at worst you will have pile of bits to dispose of, or with any luck obtain a spare radio for the boat.
We tended to favour the old repaired radio, as less likely to care if it was damaged or went over the side , while the "new " radio remained in its box.
Very useful for other jobs on the boat as well especially any corroded switches.
Why not spend an hour getting the old one apart, discovering the volume control ,give it good squirt of this stuff, at worst you will have pile of bits to dispose of, or with any luck obtain a spare radio for the boat.
We tended to favour the old repaired radio, as less likely to care if it was damaged or went over the side , while the "new " radio remained in its box.
Very useful for other jobs on the boat as well especially any corroded switches.
Dellquay13
Well-known member
+1 for trying to get a squirt of switch cleaner into the volume control.
Squirt the spray in any way you can without mashing the case and turn the volume control full sweep a few dozen times to clean the resistive track. The main cause of crackly volume controls is dirt on this track.
TBH, just trying the sweeping without switch cleaner can make a surprising improvement.
Combined volume and power switches which you turn all the way down and click for Off (not the more modern push in for Off) usually suffer less dirt crackle because they get moved more often, but do eventually wear out as the track gets worn thin. Once the track is worn, the component needs replacing, switch cleaner won’t help there.
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Birdseye
Well-known member
Yes. Have given the switch more than a few twiddles to try and clear it and it is better but still problematic. Will try cleaner.
Dellquay13
Well-known member
Do you always have it set at the same volume? It may better either side if the problem is a single point of oxidation.
Refueler
Well-known member
Most switches / 'pots'are cheap as chips .. just need identify what radio has and then replace ....
Dellquay13
Well-known member
It’s within the skill set of most Electronics hobbyists with a quality soldering iron
A switched potentiometer in a log taper and correct pin spacing for pcb mounting would need careful research
coopec
N/A
You haven't said how old it is? Is it still in warranty?
Not much point in contacting Standard Horizon if it is out of warranty (They will want to sell you a new one)
I agree with oldgit, there are ways you can "fix" a faulty volume control but I suggest it will only be a temporary fix. (I know a "Professional" like Paul Rainbow wouldn't approve of such a back-yarder approach!)
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Dellquay13
Well-known member
Speaking as a Professional repairer of Installed Sound Systems and Audio Visual equipment, that video pretty much covers the process of cleaning volume controls. Obviously theres a bit more involved if the controls are worn and need replacing, but as for cleaning, back yarders and Pro’s are doing the same simple task.You haven't said how old it is? Is it still in warranty?
Not much point in contacting Standard Horizon if it is out of warranty (They will want to sell you a new one)
I agree with oldgit, there are ways you can "fix" a faulty volume control but I suggest it will only be a temporary fix. (I know a "Professional" like Paul Rainbow wouldn't approve of such a back-yarder approach!)
A Pro would try to open the plastic casing without butchery or resorting to breaking glued seams with a butter knife though
PaulRainbow
Well-known member
You haven't said how old it is? Is it still in warranty?
Not much point in contacting Standard Horizon if it is out of warranty (They will want to sell you a new one)
How do you know this ?
How do you know they don't have an in house technical department ?
Standard Horizon and Icom both offer some of the best support in the World. I have known both of them to repair VHFs that have been several years old and well out of production and warranty.
Garmin Marine also offer World class after sales service, whether in or out of warranty, i've had equipment replaced by Garmin, FOC, well out of warranty. Another forum member on here recently reported that Garmin gave him a brand new VHF, FOC, because the curly mic cable had degraded on his 9 year old VHF.
Best not to dismiss manufacturer support out of hand, unless you have cheap rubbish from Ali or Ebay.
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Alex_Blackwood
Well-known member
Well, I just happen to be a "professional" and have cleaned up tracks on many a dirty "Pot" Par for the course, standard practice , etc. etc.! I agree it may be temporary depending on the wear and tear. All relative.You haven't said how old it is? Is it still in warranty?
Not much point in contacting Standard Horizon if it is out of warranty (They will want to sell you a new one)
I agree with oldgit, there are ways you can "fix" a faulty volume control but I suggest it will only be a temporary fix. (I know a "Professional" like Paul Rainbow wouldn't approve of such a back-yarder approach!)
PaulRainbow
Well-known member
You haven't said how old it is? Is it still in warranty?
Not much point in contacting Standard Horizon if it is out of warranty (They will want to sell you a new one)
I agree with oldgit, there are ways you can "fix" a faulty volume control but I suggest it will only be a temporary fix. (I know a "Professional" like Paul Rainbow wouldn't approve of such a back-yarder approach!)
Missed your snide little dig when i posted earlier, (the "" around "Professional" are what makes it snide).
Actually, you "know" nothing about what i would approve of. I see nothing wrong with fixing things, i do it all of the time. But why randomly start messing around something for what may well be a temporary fix, before checking with the manufacturer first ? It might be that they'll say they cannot help, in which case a DIY fix could be the answer. It could be just as likely be they'll carry out a professional, permanent repair, who knows until they are asked.
coopec
N/A
Sorry Paul I disagree
We live in a "throw-a-way society" and you only have to look at rubbish dumps to see the number of quite new TVs, white goods, lawn mowers etc thrown away.
If you have a $350 UHF radio why would you pay a minimum of $62.50 just to be told it can't be repaired?
"Please note all repairs sent for quotation have a minimum fee of $62.50 per unit ex. GST. "
Two-Way Radio Servicing & Repair | Radio Industries Australia
In the US Standard Horizon charge $US90 /hour (SEE BELOW)
Is my TV worth fixing?
To put it bluntly: NO! It's not what people want to hear, but 99% of the time the answer is: Absolutely no!
- There are too many reasons to list in one article as to why a TV is not worth fixing but I'll give you one. A typical TV repair warranty is only 3 months - they do not want you to know there is a 90% chance it will play up again
- 90% of repairs play up again Why do you think most manufacturer's warranty repair ends up as a brand new unit replacement?
- This equals = money $$$$ WASTED!! DOWN THE DRAIN!!
- You will be surprised at how cheap a new one is!
- It's always cheaper to buy a new one, even in the long term
- If it's out of warranty, DO NOT GET IT FIXED! (some very UN-COMMON exceptions)
- Repair businesses are going out of business everywhere
- In 2004, our company looked into tv repair service and we were advised that it was a dying trend & bad business - BACK THEN!!
- The reasons why your tv or A.V equipment is not worth fixing in Australia is because the labour repair costs equate to 90% of the cost of brand new equipment and you are guaranteed for a minimum of 12 months with new purchases - where as a repair you are only guaranteed for three and most of the time it's what's called a band-aid fix.
- NOW, if you didn't have our recommendation, which one makes the most sense?
- New technology (not all) is actually better than what you're attached to and wanting to repair (we believe and know dvd recording was a step BACKWARDS in technology) but there may be many, many options you are not aware of that could be an alternative to wasting your money
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wonkywinch
Well-known member
Very often volume potentiometers go crackly because a capacitor in series with the audio signal to the pot goes leaky allowing DC onto the potentiometer track which causes pitting and arcing. Worth changing the capacitor at the same time as the pot.
Spirit (of Glenans)
Well-known member
I'm constantly dismayed by reading onthese fora, of people "binning", or "dumping" electrical and electronic items that should be responsibly recycled, to which they are eminently suited.
coopec
N/A
Don't be dismayed!
The people in charge of the rubbish dump/recycling facility waste nothing!
Discarded items are gutted for anything that is recyclable (and that would be required by our laws)
Household rubbish is placed in 3 bins - green waste, recyclable (tins, plastic, card-board) and kitchen waste.
